Google, Mattel bring virtual reality to iconic toy
The new device will be available later this year at a price of around $30 for US consumers.
NEW YORK (AFP) - Google and toy giant Mattel said Friday they were teaming up to revamp the classic View-Master device, injecting it with digital-age virtual reality.
The upgraded View-Master -- a device unveiled in 1939 to allow people to view slides to simulate a three-dimensional experience -- will become "an immersive digital experience for kids," a statement from the two companies said.
The new device will be available later this year at a price of around $30 for US consumers.
A sample reel allows users to experience a journey into space with a tour inside a space shuttle, and a chance to explore destinations in 360 degrees. Additional reel packs will be sold separately.
The new View-Master will incorporate the Google Cardboard platform -- an inexpensive system which uses a smartphone enveloped in the folds of cardboard for a simplified virtual reality experience.
It will be paired with a smartphone and app to provide "an imaginative and interactive learning environment," the statement said.
"The View-Master was first introduced at the 1939 World s Fair in New York, giving consumers access to spectacular 3D worlds by simply selecting a reel and looking through a device," said Mattel vice president Doug Wadleigh.
"By working with Google s Cardboard platform, we are now able to take that experience even further, bringing the discovery and immersive viewing experience of the View-Master to the digital age."
Mike Jazayeri, product director for Google Cardboard, said, "Many of us on the Google Cardboard team grew up playing with View-Master, so we were excited to collaborate with Mattel and to see the viewer evolve and work with Google Cardboard."
